


A Special Gift

by yuletide_archivist



Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-01-04
Updated: 2004-01-04
Packaged: 2018-01-25 06:36:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1636760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Audiva has a gift for Menolly</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Special Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Keswindhover

 

 

It had been a long day, and her still-healing feet were sore, but Menolly felt a spring in her step as she made her way to her room in the Harper Hall. It wasn't just the new boots of Harper blue that energized her, or the fact that she was retiring to her quarters near Master Robinton's instead of her old room at Dunca's.

It had been the most amazing day of her young life. She had woken up as Apprentice to the Masterharper, a position she'd never dreamed of filling, but she was heading to bed as Journeyman Harper, an even more astonishing rank, especially for a girl who had only been at the Hall a se'ennight. Her fire lizards twittered about her, echoing her joy and amazement.

As she reached her door, Menolly noticed it was ajar and that the glows inside had been uncovered. Surely, she couldn't have been careless enough to have left things that way? She pushed the door all the way open, and her momentary concern changed to renewed pleasure when she saw her friend sitting on her cot.

"Audiva! I thought you'd gone back to Dunca's."

"I'll probably get a scolding for staying out so late, but I'd rather put up with that than having to listen to the rest of them whine and jabber while they're getting ready for bed." Audiva's expression was more mischievous than dismayed. "This way, I'll just have to hear a few harsh words and then I'll slip into my cot."

Menolly dropped on the cot beside the other girl and took her hands. The fire lizards settled around them both, snuggling in close. "I'm so sorry you have to stay there. I wish you could have a room here in the hall, like me."

"You'll just have to invite me over more often," said Audiva bravely. " _If_ you're not grown too grand for me, _Journeyman._ "

Menolly squeezed Audiva's hands more tightly. "Isn't it incredible! I never imagined such a thing."

Audiva laughed. "Then you're the only one who didn't. Everyone else here is always talking about how amazing you are, about your songs, and your voice-" She stopped, flushing. "I wish I were like you, Menolly."

Menolly stared in astonishment. She was still overwhelmed by the fact that she'd found a place where she had been accepted. The idea that anyone could envy her was incomprehensible.

"But," Audiva continued in a stronger tone, "I know I can't write music or play or sing like you, so I tried to think of something I could do to thank you for helping me learn gitar. And wanted it give it to you tonight, because it's such a special day for you." She reached behind her and held out a mound of fabric shyly. "It's not much, compared to the beautiful songs you write, but-"

"Harper blue!" said Menolly, as she unwrapped the length of fabric. The cloth was soft and fine, of a quality superior even to that of her new clothes. And then she saw the figures stitched onto each end of the scarf. "They're fire lizards! No, they're more than just any fire lizards. They're Beauty and Diver!"

Hearing their names, her two friends came alert for a moment, their eyes whirling with surprise as they joined Menolly in staring at the design. The other lizards also raised their heads, but they were becoming too sleepy to share in their mistress' excitement.

"I wove the cloth myself before I came here," Audiva was saying. "I made some things for myself out of it, so that I could wear blue while living with the harpers. I'm not the best weaver in my hall-if I was, they couldn't have spared me to come here to learn music. But my embroidery has always been fairly good."

"Fairly-" Menolly stroked the perfect little dragon-figures in amazement. "It's so beautiful, Audiva. I've never known anyone who could do work like this. Ever."

The two girls met each other's eyes and smiled. Menolly realized with astonishment that for the first time in her life she was admiring someone else's skill without feeling a sense of inadequacy in herself. Still holding the precious scarf in one hand, she reached out the other to grasp her friend's. "Thank you, Audiva. I didn't think anything could make this night more special, but you've just made it perfect."

Audiva looked so pretty in the soft light of the glows, her hair curling gently around her face, her eyes gleaming with happiness that her gift had been well received. Slowly, Menolly leaned forward, and before she realized what she intended, her lips touched soft lips.

One of Audiva's hands crept to Menolly's shoulder, and for a long moment, the girls held on to each other, as Beauty chirped and cooed her approval.

The moment was broken by the sound of a drum roll from high overhead, sounding the hour. Audiva pulled away, flushing and looking down as she said, "It's very late now. If I don't leave right away, I'll have more than a scolding to deal with." She peeked up at Menolly. "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," agreed Menolly, helping to sort out her fair of fire lizards so that Audiva could stand up and make her way to the door. The two girls stood in the hall for a moment, staring at each other in astonished awe before Audiva stepped forward, quickly brushed her lips against Menolly's, and then disappeared down the staircase.

Menolly hummed softly to herself as she prepared for bed. In a few minutes, she was curled up in her cot, her fire lizards huddled around her. Carefully, she wrapped her new scarf around her, warning her friends that they were to never, ever catch this special thing in their sharp claws. As she stroked the clever needlework that made up the dragons' bodies, she thought of Audiva's slender hands and soft lips. And as she faded off to sleep, the words and melody of a new song drifted into her mind.

Tomorrow, she would use her own gift to create something special, just for Audiva.

 


End file.
